After the shower, I felt a lot better... and smelled better. Melanie changed my sheets for me and Joyce folded the laundry. Downstairs, Danny made me eggs and some pancakes which were my favorite breakfast.  Lilly set the table, or at least tried to.
Caspian threw a robe around my shoulders after I put a clean pair of boxers on, his hands shaking my shoulders slightly from behind me.
"You feeling okay now?" He spoke close to my ear.
I nodded, wiggling my arms through the openings on the robe.
"I think so. That was weird, never happened before," I said while thinking about the situation.
"Yeah, we'll have to keep an eye on it, I guess." Caspian guided me down the steps and into the kitchen where I could smell all the food.

"Is this all for me?"
I gazed at the stack of pancakes with eggs on the side, a glass of orange juice next to my plate. Everyone nodded and kept smiles on their faces as they watched me begin to eat. Eventually, Levi and Casp sat down at the table with me.
"Hey, where's Gina?" I asked through a mouthful of pancakes, scanning the room and then scanning Levi.

"She had a few pains, I think, so I took her to the ER. They're watching her now."
He shrugged and pointed at my plate of food,
"Don't worry about it though, finish your meal."
I agreed and continued eating my food. Who cares about Gina anyway?

Caspian grabbed the bottle of maple syrup which was now empty, pulling out a blade to cut the attached cap in half. "You guys know how to make a weapon out of a maple syrup bottle?" He smirked happily, ready to demonstrate.

"Not really," Levi said, pushing Casp's wrist away since the blade was now pointed unintentionally towards him.
"Fuckin losers," Casp groaned, standing up with the bottle in his hand. "I gotta go back home to see Liv, but I'll be back this evening, got it?" He walked around the table to where I was sitting, leaning over the top of my head to kiss it gingerly. "You smell good, by the way," He told me as he quickly left through the kitchen door.
I smiled then covered it with my hand, Levi rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.
"That boy loves you," he spoke the words slowly.
I loved him too.

As the day progressed, I was getting tired with every minute that went by. I was still weak, and a bit confused about what happened to me. I felt great despite it all, though, and I guess that's all that mattered.
"Caspian called and he thinks you need to get out," Levi shouted to me from the kitchen. "He said to meet him outside. He'll be here in five minutes... No exceptions."

I took a long breath, feeling my lungs expand with the air filling them. "Okay," I said quietly.
I got up from the couch, slowly making my way to the door. I sat down outside on our cement steps, feeling the cold wind brush against my arms even though I was wearing a hoodie.
The sun was shining, which made me feel exceptionally warmer.

"Hey, punk," Caspian said with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, approaching my steps.
"Who are you calling a punk?" I said, getting up to grab a fistful of his shirt and push his chest back. I stayed serious until I couldn't hold it in anymore, a laugh expelling from my forming smile.
"There's my boy," He said while laughing, wrapping his arm around my neck and shoulders to nudge me forward with him down the sidewalk.
"I thought we'd go for a little walk, see where it takes us, you know?"

I nodded in response to his words, following his lead down the city streets.
We kept walking and he didn't stop until I was unfamiliar with where we were, the sky fading darker quicker than the past nights I remembered. I saw a few stars speckle the sky as I looked around. Back at my house, there's too much pollution to see many stars.

Caspian had two cigarettes on our walk, the clouds of smoke lingering in the air which seemed fresher than that at home.

We reached the suburbs, priuses and mini vans crowding the streets on the way to Target or the mall. Our walk was still silent until Caspian turned around grabbing my hand in his gently, almost mysteriously. He walked me down a trail covered with tall grass and wildflowers, the sound of moving cars fading. "This is not where I thought we were going, Casp," I said quietly while I looked at all the grass and flowers, secretly liking the silence. It proved to me that words were not necessary to describe our inevitable connection, we only needed each other.

He stopped a bit down the trail, bringing me out into the grass where it was cut down much more than the grass along the sides of the trail.
He placed both his hands firmly on my cheeks, looking into my eyes with such force I had to look away for a moment. "I needed to tell you something, and I just couldn't do it back there," he said while nodding in the direction of the city.
"Hale, listen, I think I love you."

My heartbeat quickened from 80 to 100 in a matter of seconds, realizing why he had just looked at me with such passion.
I grabbed onto his wrists, inching my fingers up to tangle them with his. Our hands dropped to our sides now.
"I love you too, Caspian."

I heard him gulp, blinking twice before his lips pressed against mine with the most desire I've ever felt. He freed his hands from mine, tangling his fingers in my hair. Our lips fit together perfectly.

Here I am, I thought, admitting love to a boy who made my heart beat just as fast when he pushed me against that car, ready to break my nose when I was searching for money in the parking lot.

This time, though, I was positive my heart was beating quickly for a different reason.

I felt his warm lips travel down my jawline to my neck, his grip getting tighter as he pushed me against his chest.
"Fuck, I really love you," he mumbled against my skin, pressing small kisses all along my neck. Goosebumps rose on every inch of my body at his words, my eyes shutting as I felt myself melt into him.

"You're fucking me up in a good way, Hale Granger," He quietly muttered.

***
Ahhh! I had a hard time writing this chapter because of all the emotions, but I love it. Sure, it could be a little corny, but I know Caspian didn't want to say I love you back in their city where certain people judge the heck outta you. This might be a rare sighting of Caspian's soft side. Comments and votes are appreciated!